What is the easiest way to avoid reinstalling XP when you replace a motherboard? A simple repair using the CD does not work. Typically hangs on detecting hardware. Is there a way to remove all the old devices/drivers in one shot much like deleting the ENUM key with olders versions of windows? From what I understand the Sysprep tool will remove user accounts as well. I'd like to avoid this.
I have a feeling I will still need to do a repair so the raid driver gets installed...??

uninstall all hardware you will no longer be using, like onboard sound and such. Then set you ata controller drivers to standard from whatever they are set to, then windows can at least read your harddrive

I have a feeling windows will complain about the driver being incompatable.

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Ya they generally change with a new mobo, so just under device manager select IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers then you should see like some name and ULTRA ATA controller or something related, update that driver do the install from a specific location, don't search i'll select, than chose Standard Dual Channel, click okay and your set, it will set to the windows default for boot, and when windows comes in it should update it directly for the new mainboard.

That didn't work. I couldn't remove all the hardware from safemode but most of it uninstalled. I put the drive back on the new board and it restarts the pc at the XP loading screen. I'm attempting a repair on it now. 50 times you've done this? That's just my luck it hasn't worked this way since win98.

That didn't work. I couldn't remove all the hardware from safemode but most of it uninstalled. I put the drive back on the new board and it restarts the pc at the XP loading screen. I'm attempting a repair on it now. 50 times you've done this? That's just my luck it hasn't worked this way since win98.

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Plenty more than 50 times... Remove all hardware from safemode? All you need to do is take out drivers just helps keep your install clean. If its restarting at the xp loading screen, that sounds like you didn't take out the drivers for the ata controller and put it back to standard...

When I said remove hardware I was refering to the devices listed in the device manager. Removing them from device manager should uninstall the driver for that device correct? Repair is hanging at 34% now. grrrr

When I said remove hardware I was refering to the devices listed in the device manager. Removing them from device manager should uninstall the driver for that device correct? Repair is hanging at 34% now. grrrr

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No you should just uninstall the drivers, which will cause the device not to work, and you only need to do it to hardware you won't be using. But there are drivers you can't do it to like the chipset drivers. You do it to onboard video, sound, network, or any cards you are using that you wont be using any longer. You can't just remove the hardware, because some of them will be locked by the os.

No you should just uninstall the drivers, which will cause the device not to work, and you only need to do it to hardware you won't be using. But there are drivers you can't do it to like the chipset drivers. You do it to onboard video, sound, network, or any cards you are using that you wont be using any longer. You can't just remove the hardware, because some of them will be locked by the os.

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But the chipset is a device I will no longer be using. I'm confused what you mean by removing drivers. If I uninstall the device from the device manager that removes the driver.
I knoticed my mouse blinking when it was stuck at 34%. I unplugged it and plugged it back in and it continued. Now I have file copy errors from the CD. I can see the files there. I even copied them to c:\ and told setup to look there and it still complained it couldnt find them. I always have some really funky problems I swear. I should go sit in a corner before I break something. lol

EDIT - Running this command fixed it. esentutl /p %windir%\security\database\secedit.sdb Now it is continuing with the install...we'll see if I can get to a desktop afterwards.

But the chipset is a device I will no longer be using. I'm confused what you mean by removing drivers. If I uninstall the device from the device manager that removes the driver.
I knoticed my mouse blinking when it was stuck at 34%. I unplugged it and plugged it back in and it continued. Now I have file copy errors from the CD. I can see the files there. I even copied them to c:\ and told setup to look there and it still complained it couldnt find them. I always have some really funky problems I swear. I should go sit in a corner before I break something. lol

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Ohh boy... Ya the only things you should have tried to uninstall are sound card drivers, video drivers and network adapter drivers.... Then just changed the ATA controller to standard so windows would use its own until it re-detected the controller once it got into windows again.... Now you might be completely screwed....

Ohh boy... Ya the only things you should have tried to uninstall are sound card drivers, video drivers and network adapter drivers.... Then just changed the ATA controller to standard so windows would use its own until it re-detected the controller once it got into windows again.... Now you might be completely screwed....

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Not screwed yet! I'm back to a desktop. Now all I have to do is install partition magic and copy this "now working os" to my raid. what a pain this was.

usually you will have to install if fresh, but there are methods of doing it with os pre-installed, but you will need to reactivate, and possible you will need a new cdkey to do so, but again, you may need a new cdkey any ways.

What ended up working was running setup in windows, choose upgrade, on reboot shut it off, switch motherboards, reboot from cd and when prompted that another install has already started choose f10 to install a fresh copy, then setup will find the exhisting install with the option to repair which I chose and wa-la! I guess choosing upgrade makes windows unload the hal or something. ??